THE government does not conduct censorship or classification of content in allowing or disallowing any form of app or platform for internet users, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

He said at present, the government does not issue licences to social media platform providers, including instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat and MiChat.

“However, for apps that clearly violate the provisions of law, (including providing a platform for) fraud and impersonation, appropriate action can be taken against them, including blocking the apps in Malaysia.

“Enforcement actions taken by the government are based on public complaints or reports from affected parties according to existing laws,” he said during question time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

Fahmi said this in reply to P. Prabakaran (Batu-PH) who wanted to know if the government intends to review usage permissions for Telegram, WeChat, MiChat and several other chat apps seen to negatively impact the young generation.

Fahmi said if any party uploads content or commits actions that violate existing laws, legal action can be taken against them, not the platform used as the medium of information sharing.

In reply to a supplementary question from Prabakaran on the government’s effort to provide a platform for rural youth to use social media for creative work, Fahmi said the government, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had established 911 digital economy centres (DECs) nationwide. 

He said the number of the DECs is expected to increase to improve the digital economy in collaboration with social media platform providers to encourage the participation of young people in the digital economy. 

“The government views social media as having a very important role, not only as a medium of expression, but also for the digital economy. 

“Many young people now are involved in online business, such as young entrepreneur Khairulaming who has recorded sales of RM21.5 million for his product Sambal Nyet over the past two years,” he said. 

Fahmi said the government will assess the importance of establishing a cross-ministerial committee to examine the effects of cyber and digital use on youth and aspects of digital security. 

He said the ministry has implemented various programmes through agencies including MCMC and CyberSecurity Malaysia and established partnerships with telecommunications companies Celcom and Digi.

He said one such collaboration was on the National Anti-Scam Tour launched on Saturday, which aims to increase awareness about the importance of vigilance when using social media. – Bernama, February 23, 2023.